The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-12-14


under the Bowman act 10 SO, involving about
coo. 100000. The petitions filed in French spoil
alton cases number $3.50. representing PASS
reported in favor Of claimants in eighty
one of these cases passed upon Is about
sisS. 900. varying. from 500 to si5,3ls. Dur
ing the last fiscal year, l.777 civil suits were
terminated. In 922 of these judgments were for
the United States, in l02 for the defendants. 20
Court. and IA from the Circuit Court to the su-
preme Court. There were pending July l, 4.o5i
civil suits. in which the United States was n
party. During the year there were 12,9o7
tions of customs ana internal revenue
laws. The Attorney General calls atten-
ton 10 the suggestions and recon-
mehdations made by him in his last annual
report In regard TO matters calling for remedial
legislation, and again urges the necessity of
immediate action thereon. These subjects are
as follows: Fees of MarshaIs in the Territories,
pay Of Deputy Mnrshals, revision of the fee
bill. substitution Of fiscal for calender year,
protection to civil officers and witnesses, fees OF
witnesses and jurors. criminal procedure, per-
jury. and laws and juries in the District of Co
lumbia.
CONTRARY TO usual custom, the annual re-
port of the Secretary of the Treasury was
not sent to Congress this year until the day
after the Presidents message mad been read
II is very lengthy paper, and We have space
for only brief synopsis. The report shows
that the receipts of tho Government for the
last fiscal year were s37l ,403, 217, and the OK
penditures s3l5 $50, 423 There was an in
crease in the receipts Of s34, 963, $50 over
those of tho preceding year, and the expendi-
lures were increased by s25, 449041. The
revenues for the present year are estimated
at 1888, 0OO, 000 and the expenditures at $780,
ST., 7S5 The Secretary advises reduction of
the customs duties on the lines suggested in
the Presidents message The Secretary gives
three ways in which the receipts and expendi-
lures Of the Government may be made about
equal:
J. The purchase of the interest bearing debt
OF the Government z Larger expenditures by
Government for other purposes than the pur-
chase OF bonds, so that they shall each year
equal the taxation OF that year. g. Reduction
of the revenue from taxation to the amount
actually required to meet necessary expenses
L cannot believe that Congress will adopt the
second expedient, viz: The enlargement of
Government expenses simply to expend money
raised by taxation when the public veal does
not otherwise call for the expenditure
AS to the third plan, Mr.. Farchild says:
Reduction of the revenue from taxation is
the only fit remedy for the evils which threaten
the country. This may be accomplished in va
rious ways. One is to reduce or abolish internal
revenue taxation In favor of this is the fact
that in II small part Of the Southern States the
internal tax on liquors and tobacco is thought TO
be oppressive and is odous to the people OF
those regions, and the further fact that by the
reduction the expenses of its collection might
be somewhat reduced. The chief cause for the
prejudice against this tax seems to be that as
there was no such tax before the war for the
Union il is looked upon a reminder of the
measures adopted To raise money to carry on
the war, and which ought not TO be continued
in time Of peace Taxation there must be.
The choice "a between kinds of taxation each
man can decide for himself. II he will examine
the subject free from prejudice, which is the
least burdensonle for him. for his family, and
tor his neighbors, and which is in the end
better for his whole country. That in
ternal taxation of spirits and tobacco
began during the war Is not Il reason why
il soould be done away with now, IL il be in it.
self wise. So the fact that the rates of customs
taxation were raised during the same far
higher than ever before III our history, and have
been continued until now ought not to deter
nine the manner OF thelr treatment; this
should rather depend upon what is Just and ex-
pedient at the present timo. Neither passion.
prejudice nor sentimentality should have place
in the consideration Of questions of taxation.
AS to the expense OF collecting the internal
revenue, suggest that an amalgamation of the
customs and internal Iovenue ystems is entirely
feasible, and that thereby large number of
Offices might be abolished and that the ex-
pense Of the whole system might be made not
to exceed that of an efficient enforcement Of
the customs laws 4 But it is not we'll
either To abolish reduce internn-revenue
taxation 1t is Il tax upon whisky, beer and
tobacco, things which are IN very SINAI meas
ure necessary TO the health or happiness OF
| mankind. If they are necessary to any
unfortunate man, they are far less neces-
sary even 70 him than are thou
sand other articles which the Government
| taxes. This tax is the least burdensome the
least unjust of all the taxes which the Govern.
ment lays or can lay upon the people it should
not be abolished. nor should IL DO reduced it,
with due regard to the existing conditions Of
| labor and capital, sufficient reduction can be
made in the taxation of necessary articles
which are in the daily use of all the people
The report shows that the circulation of the
standard silver dollar is growing in popular
l,,, -,
past year.
FROM Secretary Whtney's annual report we
CLEAN that
appropriations for the Navy Department for
the last fiscal year amounted to slJ, 49, 900, and
the balance available ut the end of that period
was s034, 800, which had been reduced by Dec.
to SlG4,500 The appropriations for the current
hscal year amount TO s26 ls2, 900, and the esti-
mates for the year ending June 80 1889, TO 3D.
$4,000. All the unarmored vessels au-
thorized by Congress arc completed or in
course OF construction. They and the
are: The dispatch vessel Dolphin, Sjli,-
600; the protected cruiser Boston, sGlyOOJ (;
the protected cruiser Atlanta, Sol7OOO; tho pro-
tected cruiser Chicago, $3.50, 900; the protected
cruiser Charleston, sl,0l7,OOO; the protected
cruiser Baltimore, Sl,325,O00. gunboat No l
Cruiser, $685. U gunboat No. (cruisorl, S247,
co..; the protected cruiser Newark 81 ,Z4S .OOO !;
protected cruiser No. A, Sl,3J0,00O; protected
cruiser No. D, 81, 900; gunboat No. 3 (cruser,
S4yO,OOOi gunDoat NO. crulSerl, s49U,UOJ; dynu-
mite cruiser Including dynamite guns, etc. J,
S350OOO hrstclass torpedo boat, So, $50. Of the
two armored vessels authorized by Congress
one is new being built by William John in En-
gland The completion Of the double-turreted
monitors will be delayed until the Bethlehem
plant can furnish the arinor. OF coast and
harbor defer for which Congress appropri-
nted s2,0J0.O the Secretary says little has
been done. 1ne Secretary does not believe in
repairing tho singl e-turreted monitors ana
using them for coast defense. AN examine
ton OF their characteristics" hc saws.
shows that outside OF the ships in our
own navy antagonist could probably
be found against which they could
stand for moment. They good vessels
for their time, but entirely obsolete" and
he adds: 1T would be little less than murder
To send men in these at the present timo to en-
counter any recently built ironclad. lappreci-
ate fully that it is only n temporary expedi-
ent that it is suggested, and with tho thought
that in the absence Of anything else, these
might be better than nothing. This has been
the theory upon which over $50 200, OU0, and
tho close OF the war. 1t is time to stop
it and DO con tent only with tho best II ev-
cry dollar is made to count upon something
OF real value, waste will stop, aud not before"
A WASHINGTON special to the Chicago
Inter Ocean says:
are approaching end, and there is good
TO secure agreement upon n treaty have failed.
IL appears that Mr.. Chamberlain and Mr..
Bayard could have como to on under
Standing. but Sir Charles Tupper is OBJ